Fluorinated polyethers have been known for many years. For example, such polyethers have been described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,214,478, 3,242,218, 3,322,826, and by Millauer et al. in Angewandte Chemie Int. Ed., Vol. 24(3), 1995, pp. 161-179, all incorporated herein by reference. These polyfluorinated ethers have been used as intermediates in the preparation of useful compositions to be applied to substrates such as hard surface substrates and fibrous substrates to impart oil and/or water repellant properties. For example, perfluorinated polyether compounds as intermediates in such compositions are described in EP 1,038,919, EP 273,449, JP-A-04-146917, JP-A-10-081873, U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,536,710, 3,814,741, 3,553,179, and 3,446,761.
In seeking these useful and efficient compositions, selection of specific fluorinated polyethers for use is important. For example, there is also a requirement that the fluorochemical compositions be environmentally friendly. By this is meant that fluorochemical polymeric compositions are obtained substantially free of fluorochemical components that eliminate slowly from the body of living organisms.
In addition to environmental friendliness, processing efficiency is also desired to reduce costs and ease in the manufacturing of such fluorochemical compositions.